(Insightful, humorous, decadent, or romantic, the comment that most touches my heart and tickles my fancy, will receive a $10 Starbucks Card. Thank you for participating).
THE PROMISE
Made visible by her breath, the frost’s cold hung in the air. She didn’t want to be there but she’d promised she would meet him, and at the time she’d wanted to, but now…!
A shuddering ripple cascaded down her spine. The park was desolate and forbidding, but it shared its eerie stillness with its beauty, and sighing heavily, she allowed herself to fall under the spell of the glacial grandeur that surrounded her.
Reflecting the full moon’s silver glaze, the icy shards clinging to the trees twinkled as brightly as the canopy of sparkling stars overhead, The bench where they had first kissed, suggested she should sit, but it didn’t seem right without him, and as much as her feet hurt in the too-small boots, she couldn’t bring herself to accept its silent invitation.
“I’m so glad you came.”
His voice, deep and comforting, sent the much missed, familiar fluttering through her belly, and she turned to see him sauntering towards her, his hands stuffed in his overcoat pockets.
“I said I would,” she replied, immediately wishing she hadn’t sounded so defensive. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap.” Dammit, why am I here? I know I’m a physical masochist, but I’m not an emotional one, or am I?
He smiled, and the dimples that once had charmed her, worked their magic again. She wanted to sink against his soft wool jacket, feel his engulfing bear hug, smell the rich aroma of his-
“Let’s sit,” he said, interrupting her thoughts as he moved confidently towards the bench.
“So, what’s up?” she asked, attempting to appear nonchalant as she perched on the edge of the wooden seat. I shouldn’t have come. I’ll sit here with a brave face, pretend I’m fine, then go home and end up crying with my dog.
“Do you remember the promise I made you this time last year?”
The glint in his eye set her butterflies wildly flapping, making it impossible to concentrate.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” she asked, rising from the depths of his gaze.
“I asked if you remember the promise I made you last New Year’s Eve. You were sick, too sick to go out.”
She swallowed hard and glanced across the icy lawns. Of course she remembered the promise. She remembered it every hour of every day, sometimes as a fuzzy shadow, other times with crushing clarity.
“Yes,” she sighed, “but like you said, that was last year, before we…before you…”
“Before I was an idiot,” he finished.
“I didn’t say that,” she retorted.
“No, but you could have, and you would have been right.”
Her heart did a quickstep, and as she caught her breath she felt her teeth clench. This was not what she’d expected, but then, she wasn’t sure what she’d expected, and she realized she was there because every part of her had ached to share his space, even if only for a few minutes.
“I’ve figured something out,” he continued. “There’s a problem being a Dominant. No, that’s not right. There’s a problem I used to have, being a Dominant, or at least your Dominant.”
“I don’t understand?” she muttered, unable to make her voice work properly.
“I thought I was supposed to be smart all the time, infallible, have all the answers,” he frowned, “but I’m just a human being, with all the flaws and weaknesses of any other human being. I’m sorry, Beth, I let you down. I tried so hard to be perfect, and all I did was make an absolute mess of things.”,
Her hands balled into fists. Was this just an apology, or…?
“If you want me to,” he said slowly, “I’d like to keep that promise.”
Heart thumping, her eyes searched his, seeking the glow of love behind his words.
“I want to spank you right here, now, on our bench, in the freezing cold,” he said softly, locking her gaze, “just as I promised.”
A hot lump began forming in her throat. She wanted it…she wanted him…
“And then what?” she managed.
“And then I’ll take you home, and kiss every single inch of you.”
She brought her gloved hands to her face, covering her eyes.
Take a leap of faith. You miss him like crazy. Be brave, Beth, go on, do it.
Wordlessly, tremulously, haltingly, she crawled across his lap, and sighing deeply, sank into her surrender. As she felt the comfortable familiarity of his lap, she sighed heavily, relinquishing her fears.. She was home.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Easy relationships can sometimes be difficult, difficult relationships can sometimes be easy, and going back, can sometimes mean, going forward.
https://www.amazon.com/author.maggiecarpenter
_________________________________________________________________________________
RULES:
Follow the links to read the blogs–comment on the blog to prove you were there (or answer the participant’s specific question, if they have one). COPY AND PASTE COMMENTS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED! Each comment earns you one entry for the grand prize. You must provide your email address for your entry to count. Individual pages may also have their own form of entry (Rafflecopter, etc) for additional chances to win prizes. Enjoy all the free stories, posts, & fun!
PLEASE VISIT OUR OTHER BLOGGERS
7. Casey McKay
9. Renee Rose
10. Lily Harlem
11. Cara Bristol
12. Adaline Raine
14. Celeste Jones
15. Leigh Smith (aka Sunny Girl)
16. Tara Crescent (BDSM Romance)
17. Sue Lyndon
18. Anastasia Vitsky (Governing Ana)
20. Maddie Taylor
21. Liv Honeywell
22. Joelle Casteel- author of bdsm erotica
23. Sadey Quinn
24. Holla Dean spankin’ good romance stories
25. Paige Tyler
26. Thianna D
27. Emily Tilton
28. PK Corey
30. Lucy Felthouse
31. Paloma Beck
32. Kristin Elyon
34. Abigail Armani Erotic Romance Author
35. Johnna Maquire
37. Michelle Graham, Erotic Romance
38. Kates Cravings – Batteries Not Included
42. Elegant Erotica – Maggie Carpenter
44. Jaye Peaches
45. Dinah McLeod
46. Daizie Draper
47. Draven St. James
48. Jolynn Raymond’s Dark Obsessions
49. Shoshanna Evers
50. Acknowledging Imperfection
51. We Love Kink
52. 1950s Wife
53. Shelly Douglas
55. Penelope Hasler
We have some wonderful Grand Prizes & more rolling in every day!
- Kindle or Nook (Blushing Books)
- Your Choice of a Free Book Cover for Your Next Book, an Ad for an Upcoming Project, or a Custom Facebook Header or Blog Graphic (Lazy Day Publishing)
- Three Month Subscription to Discipline & Desire (Discipline & Desire)
- $20 Gift Certificate to Amazon (Stormy Night Publications)
- Hand Crafted Paddle (Blondie’s Place)
- Spanking Video DVDs (Shadowlane)
- A “Get it All” Bundle (Variant Publishing) – Includes How to Get the Spanking You Want – The Complete Guide to Asking for It, Getting It, & Making It Better, How to Give a Spanking – Advice from the Receiving End, What He Wants – A Man’s Seven Secret Spanking Desires, & The Little Book of Spanking Stories
- $25 Gift Certificate to Blushing Books (Patricia Green)
- Learning Domestic Discipline eBook Package (LearningDD)
- $25 Gift Certificate to Blushing Books (Patty Devlin)
- $10 Gift Certificate to Amazon (PK Corey)
- $25 Gift Certificate to Cane-iac (Cane-iac)
- $5 Amazon Gift Card and two books (Leigh Smith)
-
- Custom Social Media package including twitter & FB cover designs from graphic designer (The Cover Artisan)
- Print Copies of The British Billionaire Bachelor – Acts One & Two (Maggie Carpenter)
I love all your stories. She wouldn’t remain cold at least her bottom would be quite hot.
Thank you, Laurel. I suspect the cold would become the last thing on her mind. 🙂
Thank you, Laurel. Yes, like a jacuzzi in the snow?
The picture that is posted is beautiful like right out of a dream! I loved the excerpt at first my heart broke for Beth she seemed really sad having to face him. I too thought she would be getting more terrible news but then when he said he had made a promise to spank her right on that very same bench that they had their first kiss on I had a huge grin on my face! Thanks for sharing and I hope you have a good day!
amybowens34@yahoo.com
Thank you, Amy. I’m so happy you weren’t quite sure where the piece was going, and the ‘happy ending’ brought you a smile. I did my job. 🙂 Always like to leave readers feeling good.
That is very intriguing and you have me hooked. Of course I’ve always loved your work so that is not a big surprise. 😉
Patty – you’ve always loved my work? That is just such a wonderful thing to say. Thank you. This short story is just that, a short story, but I am now inspired to turn into a book. 🙂
Well I am hoping the third time is the charm I have tried this too many times today. Thank goodness I am stubborn. Loved the story and the picture is amazing!! Would be an amazing picture in a bedroom.
Hi Tracey: You sound like me. Computers and anything techi have hidden gremlins that try and thwart my efforts. Thank you, I’m so pleased you liked it, and yes, isn’t the picture extraordinary? It was the sole inspiration behind, The Promise.
Your word choice, the way you built their conversation, his admission of imperfections, held me spell bound. Absolutely beautiful scene
authorjoellecasteel@excite.com
My goodness, Joelle, thank you so much. You are too kind. So happy you enjoyed it.
Nice she’s now at home
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
Sigh… indeed. Thank you.
I haven’t read your work before but I am going to have to. I love these hops-I always find a new author to fall in love with. 🙂 Great presentation on the blog and I loved the snippet! Going to check out your work and add you to my wish list.
Thanks for being a part of the festivities!
Best,
Erzabet Bishop
erzabetwrites at gmail.com
Erzabet, thank you. Delighted that you enjoyed it. It’s not actually a snippet, but a short story that was inspired by the picture, but I am now going to write a book based on the piece. So happy you enjoyed it.
This is a delicious little scene leaving a reader yearning for more.
Sigh – forgot my email for once. lacrimsonfemme at gmail dot com
Thank you! Really appreciate the kind words, and you will get more. I have now decided to turn The Promise, into a book. 🙂
Absolutely beautiful use of emotions, defensiveness, vulnerability, yearning and even hope right at the end.
tarafinneganromance@gmail.com
Tara – thank you. What a kind and heartfelt comment. I’m so happy the piece touched you. We all need a dash of fresh hope now and then, even if from fictional characters in a short story. 🙂
Beautiful picture and beautiful passage. The trust and love can be felt. I loved the last sentences, “… relinquishing her fears. She was home.”
kesummer69(at)gmail(dot)com
Thank you, Kelsey. I have to admit, those last six words were my favorite when I wrote them. Sigh. 🙂
Aw, that is a sweet excerpt. Really reminds me that all of us, no matter what kind of relationship we are in, are just human, and as humans are susceptible to mistakes. Its nice to be reminded of that every once in awhile so life doesn’t feel too stressful! ghwasd at gmail dot com
Thank you. Yes, we want to be perfect for those we love, and I think Dominants are seen as heroes, and want to be heroes, and heroes are supposed to be ‘super’ right? 🙂 No, they’re just men, they’re special men, but just men, and it’s up to us women to let them know it’s okay if they’re human (at least, once in a while). 🙂
Maggie Carpenter…(sigh) you always paint a beautiful picture with your words. Thank you for that. Thank you for also making your characters real and fallible with insecurities like the rest of us.
laurah2727@yahoo.com
Thank you Laura, for such a warm, kind comment. I try, and am truly grateful you were able to connect with the story
Your writing has a way of showing me that it is okay to be imperfect and that things can always get better. Thanks loved this little story.
rameyer.nmb@gmail.com
Thank you, Renee. Really am so grateful that you left your comment. If my characters are able to talk to you, it makes it all worthwhile. 🙂
Great snippet! I was hooked from the very start! I really like your writing style, I need to read more of your material! Thanks! thecoverartisan@gmail.com
Tony- thank you. Such kind words. It’s actually a short story inspired by that extraordinary picture, but now I’ve decided to turn The Promise into a book, so it will become a snippet in the next few months. 🙂
Wow that was touching and beautiful definitely got me hooked and wanting more. So rare to see a dom be so vulnerable.
p.craig@maildotcom
Thank you! Dom’s are just men, and yes they are special men, but they are still just men, and I like to give my Dom’s humanness and vulnerability. I’m so glad you connected with that. Really makes me smile. 🙂
Was that picture of the bench in the cold moonlight your inspiration or did you find that later?
capefearlibn at gmail dot com
Hi Cathy: I found the picture some time ago and absolutely fell in love with it. When this blog hop came up, I used it as the inspiration behind The Promise. It just kind of, leapt out at me. 🙂
Very tender.
Forgot to add livinezle@gmail.com
Thank you, Leigh.
A nice sweet story! Who doesn’t love when he admits he was wrong!
Soundslikefun13@yahoo.com
BIg Smiles. Absolutely! Who doesn’t love a Dom who can admit he’s wrong? Great comment. Sigh. Thank you!
What a sweet story! I’m so glad he was willing to admit his mistakes and she was willing to put the past behind them. And getting spanked on that bench under the moon and stars, yum!
bbbadbarbie@gmail.com
Thank you – yes it takes the two of them! So happy you picked up on that. Oh – and – yes – definitely YUM!!
Very loving scene…thank you.
Blessings…
Cat catsbrighteyes at gmail dot com
Thank you for taking the time to comment. 🙂
That was so very lovely and just ‘touched’ me. Thank you for sharing that.
tammyfaris1966 at gmaildotcom
Thank you – I’m so glad it touched you. It touched me when I was writing it.
Lovely story Maggie. I’m so glad she forgave him 🙂
constancemasters@gmail.com
Thank you, Constance. Me too. Sometimes I’m not sure what my characters are going to say until they say it. 🙂
Great story! Second chances are sometimes very rewarding!
Kristencapri@yahoo.com
Thank you, Kristen. Very wise words.. ‘are sometimes’ very rewarding. It’s a shame it can’t always be so.
Love your story, Maggie. Sometimes I think Dominants have a more difficult job than submissives. Submissives submit, but Dominants have to know when to push, how hard to push, and the best time and place to start pushing. And they have to do all this without asking a question, which means mind-reading comes along with the job, too. But they’re human and fallible and can make mistakes in trying to be perfect, and your story illustrates that beautifully. Great job.
krblake@kathrynrblake,com
Kathryn – thank you for such an insightful and comprehensive comment. That’s exactly what I wanted to show – that Dom’s are people too. I’m so happy to have succeeded. Thank you again.
You never cease to awe me. Loved this.
Lburger1908 at gmail dot com
OMG… really? I’m so humbled by your kind words. Thank you SO much.
Wow. wow.
🙂 Goodness… thank you, Ed. Really happy you liked it.
I think that’s the best snippet I’ve read thus far – beautiful imagery and wonderfully creative use of words. Loved it.
abigailarmani2@gmail.com
Thank you, Abigail, I really appreciate the accolade. It’s actually just a short story inspired by the picture, but thanks to comments like yours, The Promise will become a book very soon.
Great story, Maggie. I loved that he owned up to his mistakes.
“She was home.”
Loved that line!
Katherinedeane40 at gmail dot com
Thank you, Katherine. “Home is where the lap is.” Seriously, those last six words were my favorite in the piece when I wrote them. 🙂
so beautiful… is there more?
whitk22222227@gmail.com
Thank you, Karen. There isn’t, but there will be. Because of the wonderful response I’ve had to this short story, I’ve decided to turn it into a book. 🙂
You have wonderful insight and the development and growth of your characters.
You would make a great therapist.
laurellasky@gmail.com
Thank you so much, Laurel. Actually, I do have a background in psychology. Was once a therapist. Much prefer writing D/s novels and getting inside the head of my characters now.
Really liked that and happy to have a new author to add to my mix. Thanks!
chickieblog@live.com
Chickie – thank you. Really appreciate the kind words.
Oh, im hooked! Im so intrigued for more! Thank you for sharing! Cant wait to check it out!
shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com
🙂 Well thank you. The Promise was just a short story I wrote, inspired by the picture, but thanks to comments like yours, I am now going to turn it into a novel.
I just loved this so much! I want more!! I think I better get my Maggie fix by downloading some of your books with the gift card I received for my birthday! 🙂
Corrine – thank you so much. You will get more. Because of this blog, The Promise will now become a full-length novel. Truly delighted you enjoyed it.